How To Be Dead
by Kyriana42
Summary: Andrea's desperate to get away from the group.  When she overhears Shane's plan to slip away quietly, Andrea believes she's found her ticket out.  But is it worth the risk? Possible S2 Spoilers! My first Walking Dead fic.
1. Part I

**Disclaimer: Don't Own, Don't Sue!**** ;D**

**Summary: **Andrea's desperate to get away from the group. When she overhears Shane's plan to slip away quietly, Andrea believes she's found her ticket out. But is it worth the risk?

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><p><strong>How To Be Dead<strong>

**Part I**

"_Suicidal imbecile  
>Think about it, put it on the fault line<br>What'll it take to get it through to you precious  
>Over this. Why do you wanna throw it away like this?<em>"

**-"The Outsider" by A Perfect Circle**

The group was getting ready to leave, continuing their search for some form of safe haven.

Andrea knew that it was growing more and more futile.

This journey was leading them nowhere. The geeks outnumbered them immensely.

She could safe right now.

She could be safe and reunited with her sister, Amy. Dead, but safe. Instead, she was forced to move on day to day, wondering when death would pounce. She constantly kicked herself for allowing the geeks the chance to get so close to her sister. For allowing Amy to go off by herself to use the bathroom on the motor-home, innocent request as it was. The replay of the attack, watching Amy turn, and having to kill her haunted Andrea.

Then there was Dale.

The father figure, who had convinced her to reluctantly leave the CDC building seconds before the incineration process initiated.

As Andrea walked over to the motor-home, Dale must've noticed her look of deep concentration; the look of anguish that now replaced the smile she once wore.

"Andrea." He spoke.

She stopped, but didn't look up immediately.

"I know what you're thinking," he began; "but if I hadn't done what I did, you would be dead."

"I chose to stay." She retorted sternly, looking him in the eye.

"You chose _suicide_!" Dale stated incredulously, shivering inwardly at the memory.

Glenn, Rick, and a couple others glanced over in their direction at Dale's sudden outburst.

"I knew what I was doing." She spoke, hand resting on her hip.

"You weren't thinking _clearly_. You were _grieving_." Dale continued in a hushed tone, hoping the others would resume their conversation and pay no further mind to the conversation he was having with Andrea.

"And that automatically turns into me not being able to make decisions for myself? God, Dale, I'm not a kid and you're _not_ my father. My family's dead." Andrea spat in an exasperated voice before turning to get on the motor-home.

"Andrea," Dale spoke sternly, causing Andrea to pause on the steps and turn around to face him.

"We've all lost someone. All we have now is each other." He finished quietly, but firmly.

Andrea said nothing as she turned back around and took her usual seat at the table by the window; ignoring Shane's, Carol's and Sophia's presence as she sat down.

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><p>Hours later, they were driving north on a highway littered with abandoned cars and cars with fully dead. Andrea blankly stared out the window, vaguely aware of Glenn giving directions to Dale in the front of the motor-home or of Carol talking to Sophia quietly, probably trying to qualm her fears.<p>

This was the world they were stuck in.

No amount of hoping or praying was going to change that.

Andrea rested her hand on her neck to support her self in her boredom. She looked up to see Shane glancing at her before he turned his head and looked out the window.

Andrea had always been wary of the man ever since the group first came into contact with him months ago in Atlanta. There were times when he seemed like a fairly nice guy, but that day at the lake when he had nearly beat Carol's abusive husband, Ed, to death; that was when everyone in the group decided to keep their distance and only speak to him when necessary.

There was an odd noise.

Andrea assumed it to be some sort of potholes or something the vehicle was running over.

"Maybe we should turn back?" Glenn suggested warily.

"We don't have the gas." Dale responded.

Suddenly, the motor-home came to a jerking halt, flinging the passengers a several inches forward.

"That's not good." Glenn stated, setting his map down before standing up to follow Dale outside.

Andrea and the others followed as well.

Steam was pouring out of the hood like a chimney.

"I knew that duct tape wouldn't last long." Dale shook his head.

"We're gonna be stuck here?" Sophia whimpered.

"No. Everything will be alright." Carol soothed.

"We just need to find the right parts to fix it, right?" Andrea inquired.

Dale opened the hood and waved a hand at the steam cloud to try and clear it away to get a better look.

"I think it's more along the lines of we need to find another mode of transportation." Dale answered.

"I knew it." Glenn replied grimly.

"Hell, that thing was mostly duct tape to begin with. We all knew it was only a matter of time before it gave out on us." Daryl pointed out.

"You're not helping the situation." Andrea narrowed her eyes.

"Hate to say it; but he's right." Shane spoke up.

"Everyone needs to just calm down. We're going to sort this out." Rick raised his hands as he approached the group with Lori and Carl.

"And how do you propose we do that?" Daryl stepped forward.

"We're going to scavenge the nearby vehicles; see if we can't find something to help patch this engine up. If not, maybe another vehicle to replace it for the time being." Rick explained.

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><p>More to come soon.<p>

Please Review! ;D


	2. Part II

**Disclaimer: Don't Own, Don't Sue! ;D**

**A/N: Many apologies for taking entirely too long on updating this. I was trying my best to stay away from watching the show and keep my speculations to the trailer. I tried to make this fairly long to make up for the gap in updates. Thank you to those who read and reviewed! It really means a ton. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Part II<strong>

"_You're a stranger  
>So what do I care<br>You vanish today  
>Not the first time I hear<br>All the lies_"

**-"A Stranger" by A Perfect Circle**

As the group proceeded to spread out through the wreckage and abandoned vehicles, Andrea stood her ground; gazing up at the sun for a moment in concentration.

"I'll keep an eye out for anything." Dale announced, glancing at Andrea unsurely before scaling the RV to stand guard.

"Carl, stay by the RV." Lori instructed her son.

"But—"

"I want you to stay by the vehicles in case something should happen." Lori cut off his protest. "Don't go anywhere unless told to. Do you understand me?"

"Yes."

Andrea ignored the exchange as she turned her gaze back to the RV and got back inside it.

"Sophia, how about you stay too?" Carol suggested.

"Yes, mamma." Sophia replied following Carl back to the RV where they sat on the steps.

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><p>Andrea sat back down at the table and pulled out her handgun.<p>

She hadn't touched the gun since she'd used it to—to shoot Amy.

Andrea ran a hand across her eyes to quickly wipe away the tears that began to well up.

She turned it over again and again in her hands.

It was a nice gun.

Her mind turned over to the day her father gave it to her.

_"Now, you girls will remember to—c"_

_ "Call when we get there." Andrea had casually cut him off. "Of course we will. You _know_ we will."_

_ "Well, you know how I worry." He said sternly, but a smile protruded._

_ "We should probably get going, it's getting late." Amy interjected._

_ They had gotten up early that morning to pack the car and were supposed to leave before ten. Andrea had planned out the whole trip and had even taken time off of work. It was supposed to be a make-everything-up-to-Amy trip where they would hopefully bond and catch up on everything the other had missed._

_ "Oh, I've got something for you." Their dad said brightly as if he'd almost forgotten something._

_ Before they could inquire what exactly that something was, he opened a drawer of his desk and pulled out a handgun._

_ He took Andrea's hand, placed the firearm in her palm, and closed her hand over it._

_ "Why are you giving me this?" Andrea asked half-seriously, half-frightened._

_ Their father smiled warmly. "Because, two girls out on the road alone ought to know how to defend themselves."_

_ In other words, 'don't be stupid and talk to strangers.' and of course, 'don't let anything happen to Amy, Andrea.'_

_ Their father stepped forward and hugged them both._

_ "Thanks Dad." They said simultaneously._

_ "I love you both; but if you want to make it at least halfway to Atlanta before sunset, you better get a move on." He said with a hearty laugh._

_ They had left in hurry to get on the road. They were already running a couple of hours behind schedule._

_ "I can't believe Dad really gave you a _gun_!" Amy said more adventurously than scared._

_ "I didn't even know he had the thing. Did you?" Andrea asked, glancing briefly in Amy's direction before glancing back to the road._

_ "I've never been in his study before." Amy had shrugged._

_ A brief silence passed before either spoke again._

_ "What's he think we're going to encounter anyway? The mob? A murderous hitchhiker?" Amy asked with a laugh._

_ "There's a lot of dangerous people in the world nowadays, Amy." Andrea replied matter of fact._

_ "Do you actually think we're going to need to use that?" Amy asked doubtfully._

_ "You never know." Andrea answered indifferently._

_ "Well, until our shootout, how about some music?" Amy inquired as she leaned forward and switched the radio on and cranked the volume._

"Nice piece you got there." Shane said conversationally.

Andrea snapped from her reverie and looked up at Shane as he stood in front of her holding a couple jars of jam, peanut butter, applesauce, and some other food items.

"It was a gift. From my father." She answered, trying to shake off the memories.

"He thought Amy and I should have something to defend ourselves with if need be." She added.

"Smart man, your father." He nodded. "You know how to use a gun?"

"Close range." She admitted.

"Thought as much."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You weren't planning popping yourself with that, were you?"

"Of course not." She retorted disgustedly.

Though, in truth, the thought _had_ occurred to her.

"You know, get someone to teach you how to use that properly, you'll have no trouble defending yourself."

"Like you?"

Shane shrugged. "Anybody, really."

"We need more people who actually can use a firearm. Hell, could use anyone with a gun, really."

"I can learn how to use a gun." Carl chimed in from where he was sitting with Sophia on the steps of the RV.

Shane turned back to him. "That's between your mom and your dad and you, Carl."

Carl pouted as he took his seat again.

"Sorry Bud." He apologized.

"Maybe a conversation for later." Shane directed at Andrea before setting the few supplies on the table and heading back outside; ruffling Carl's hair on his way out.

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><p><em>Twenty minutes later...<em>

"Hide! Under the cars!" Rick ordered in a hushed tone, waving his hand.

"Sophia!" Carol began to cry as Lori dragged her under the car.

"She's fine. She's in the RV with Carl." Lori whispered, holding a hand over Carol's mouth.

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><p>"Get inside and close the door!" Dale strained in a hushed tone to Carl and Sophia.<p>

"Walkers!" He hissed.

"Mama!" Sophia cried jumping to her feet.

"Come on, we have to close the door." Carl said trying to pull her inside.

"Andrea!" Carl called, as he tried to pull Sophia on board to shut the door.

Andrea slowly peered out the window and noticed the herd of Walkers headed their way.

"Oh my God." She panicked as she fell out of her seat.

She jumped up to go pull the kids on the street, but Carl and Sophia were both already gone.

Andrea fell backwards on the stairs, dropping her gun and scrambled back onto the RV as the Walkers started to pass by.

She managed to make it to the bathroom as a Walker boarded the RV. She shut the foldable door as quickly and quietly as she could and held her breath.

Its footsteps thumped and dragged in her direction.

Andrea held her breath.

'So this is it.' She thought, placing her feet up against the door to brace it. 'We all die here because the duct tape couldn't hold out. And I get to die next to a toilet.'

"Andrea." Dale whispered from up above, tapping lightly on the vent for the bathroom.

She glanced up at him half-glaring.

Another life and death situation and Dale a witness to it.

Maybe this would actually be better this time. She could die and be with Amy and the rest of her family. This time Dale couldn't stop her.

Andrea was semi-aware of Dale informing her of a screwdriver setting on the shelf above the toilet from when they'd had to adjust some of the facilities a few days ago.

Her back against the wall and her feet firmly against the door, Andrea strained to reach the screwdriver.

She could still hear the Walker shuffling aboard the RV, but was unsure of where exactly it was.

Just as her finger tips brushed the tool, her foot slipped from the door and met the floor with a thud.

"Shit." She cursed under her breath.

Everything happened in slow motion.

The Walker began to pound on the foldable door trying to gain access.

It became an undertone to Andrea's screams.

All of a sudden, the screwdriver became less and less tangible.

Andrea began to wonder if this was how Amy felt in her last moments.

If their parents had encountered this fate.

The door was giving way.

Was the screaming in her head now?

She didn't feel like she was screaming anymore.

Even Dale's words faded as her brain started to shut down.

And she realized something.

Perhaps it was just the heat of the moment type deal.

Perhaps not.

One thing was certain right now:

She didn't give a damn about anyone or anything that at any point mattered to her.

All she knew was there was a threat and she wasn't going down via a Walker.

Andrea doesn't remember grabbing the screwdriver.

Or even attacking the rogue Walker for that matter.

Just the ache in her hand after she blinked to find the Walker's skull smashed to bits on the floor of the RV and blood everywhere.

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><p>I'll try to get something up soonish.<p>

Please Review!


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